In each year, 52 weeks.

Menu

-

Blog Archive

Friday, August 01, 2008

I haven't talked about Doctor Who much at all this season, so you can deal with two weeks in a row.

So - the finale. Like last year, great lead up in ep. 12, which ep. 13 can't live up to. However, I did enjoy this finale better than last year's - as they said on SyFy Portal, at least there was no reset button (and I was very very worried that that's what the Osterhagen Key would end up being).

Yes, the Doctor-Copy was a bit silly and clearly designed for a happy ending with Rose, but I'm kinda OK with that. Although - me being me - I think I'd be as interested in seeing how that story plays out as I am with the story we will get, with the Doctor alone again. How does the human Doctor accept being human, being Rose's Doctor and yet not, having the weight of the universe maybe lifted off his shoulders now and maybe being OK with having theoretically destroyed the Daleks and Davros (again) despite being told that he's wrong to feel that way. And I think his being OK with killing them all has less to do with him "being born out of battle" and more to do with the human in him now. Harriet Jones certainly wasn't born in battle, and she destroyed the Sycorax ship - reluctantly, but she didn't regret it, even several years later. The Original-Doctor perhaps has the larger view and a better understanding of how the universe and time fit together, and how repeatedly trying to wipe out any species doesn't really seem to work; while the Copy-Doctor, although he has the memories of these things, is perhaps more aware of the here and now, of the immediacy of survival for himself and those he loves. Plus a big dollop of Donna, which - again - I'd love to see play out in his personality. But we never will.

Overall, I'd give it a B. A vast improvement over last year (although, despite everything, I adored John Simm as the Master).

ETA: I've watched a second time (shush), and it holds up better than I expected.